Improvement in stem winding and setting devices for watches



. e. DOMON Stem-Winding' and Setting Device for Watches.

No. 200,380. Patented Feb..19,1878.

fwn.

me K

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OVIDE DOMON, OF BIENNE, SVITZERLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEM WINDING AND SETTING DEVICES FOR WATCHES.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,380, dated February19, 1878,: application filed December 13, 1876.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Ovrnn Denon, of Bienne, inthe Republic of Switzerland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Watches, of which the following is a specification:

The invention subject-matter of this patent relates particularly to thewatch-winding and hand-setting mechanism, and has for its object theperformance of these operationsnamely, the winding and hand-setting-bymeans of the crown-piece in the pendant or stem of the watch, andwithout the use of any auxiliary or accessory devices, by which the gearof the minute-hand and the gear of the winding mechanism are engagedwith and disengaged from the gear directly operated by the crown-piece.

My said invention consists in the combination, with a watch-plate and astem or pendant directly attached thereto, of a central andlongitudinally-movable spindle rigidly connected with the crown-piece,and provided with a Breguet click and suitable gear-wheel, arranged inrelation to the watch-winding gear and the hand-settin g gear,substantially as hereinafter described, and of a helical spring locatedin a chamber in the stem surrounding said spindle, and acting againstthe bottom of said chamber and the under side of said crown-piece, asand for the purposes hereinafter shown and described.

As before stated, the watch is provided with a Breguet click, and thewinding of the watch-movement and the setting of the hands are eachaffected independently of the other. The engaging and disengaging withthe respective gears are effected by means of the crown-piece, which,being rigidly connected With a spindle carrying a Breguet click, is, inits normal condition, engaged or connected with the winding mechanism,while, when depressed, it is disengaged from the winding mechanism toengage with the hand-setting mechanism. A helical wire spring located inthe chamber of the stem throws the crownpiece, when released frompressure, together with its spindle, out of gear with the handsettingmechanism, to engage it again automatically with the winding mechanism.By this arrL ngement it will be seen that the watch can be finishedentirely without a case and without a rim, and therefore can be producedat a greatly-reduced cost, inasmuch as this most difficult and tediousoperation is entirely dispensed with, and also obviates the necessity ofusing any extraneous or projecting pieces, such as slides, knobs, &c.,which are generally used in connection with stem-winders, in order toshift connection of the stemgear from the nnding to the hand-settingmechanism, and vice versa.

In the watch shown in the drawings the stem is shown directly attachedto the watchplate by means of a suitable metal strap, by screws; but thestein may be otherwise secured, according to the judgment of themanufacturer.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a watch constructed inaccordance with my said invention, Figures l and 2 representing exteriorviews of the watch face and side. Fig. 3 shows the same with the backplate removed. Fig. 4L is a transverse view of the same with a sectionof the stem. Fig. 5 represents the watch seen from the side of theminute-wheel, with a section of the stem, showing the Breguet clickdisengaged from the hand-setting mechanism.

In said drawings, the plate is shown at A, against or upon which ismounted the watch mechanism, which it is unnecessary here toparticularly describe, except so far as to indicate by reference to thefigures the gear-wheel and click.

In the head of the plate, by means of screws, is secured the stein B,through the center of which passes the spindle t, which is connected atits upper end with the crownpiece C, and its lower end laterally lits ina journal-bearing, yet so as to admit of a longitudinal movementtherein.

The stem B is provided with a chamber, within which a helical wirespring, a, surrounding the spindle, is located. This spring bears on theone end against the bottom of the chamber in the stem, and on the otherend against the lower side of the crown-piece. The latter is provided onits under side with an annular recess, which allows of its beingdepressed to slide a given distance upon the stem.

.y `The spindle tof the crown-piece passes, at its lower end, throughthe center of the helicoidal wheel d, which is loose upon its axis, andis arranged to engage with the springbarrel. This wheel is rigid withthe toothed circle of the Breguet click, whose second part e is fastupon the spindle at its lower eXtremity.

The lower portion of the Breguet click is indented to gear with theminute-hand wheels. The tendency of the spring a is to throw up thespindle, and with it the Breguet click, the upper part of which engageswith the corresponding portion projecting from and making body with thehelicoidal wheel, and in thatposition it is always ready to act upon thebarrelgear for the purpose of winding the watch. On pressing upon thecrown-piece the Breguet click engages with the minute-hand gear.

Having thus described my invention7 and the manner in which the same isor may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The combination, with a watch-plate and a stem or pendant directlyrattached thereto, of a central and longitudinally-movable spindlerigidly connected with the crownpiece, and provided with a Breguet clickand suitable gear-Wheel, arranged in relation to the watchwinding gearand the hand-setting gear, substantially as herein described, and of ahelical spring located in a chamber in the stem surrounding saidspindle, and acting against the bottom of said chamber andthe under sideof said crown-piece, as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this Sth day November,1876.

DOMON.

Witnesses:

RUDOLF AsoHMANN, O. B. DUNCHERT.

